Cheese tonkatsu and mini sake-don in Jangjeon-dong, Busan: Gatjidong

For some reason I was craving cheese tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) that day. Regular tonkatsu is great and all, but I really wanted the kind where the cheese stretches out in long, gooey strings. So I headed over to Gatjidong Busan Jangjeon Branch near Oncheonjang Station.

Where is Gatjidong Busan Jangjeon Branch, and is there parking?

Gatjidong Busan Jangjeon Branch is on the 1st floor of 11 Singmulwon-ro, Geumjeong-gu, Busan. It's about a 5-minute walk from Exit 5 of Oncheonjang Station. Come out of Exit 5 and walk toward Jangjeon Raemian — the restaurant is right across from the apartment complex's south gate.

• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30 (last order 21:00)
• Parking: Free in the building's shared parking lot
• There's a gated lot next to the restaurant — if you need the gate opened, just ask a staff member or call the store.

Half-and-half tonkatsu with mini sake-don, 18,500 won

This place has a lot more than tonkatsu — udon, soba, rice bowls, pasta — but the half-and-half tonkatsu is apparently their signature dish. I didn't even hesitate that day and ordered the half-and-half tonkatsu plus mini sake-don. It came to ₩18,500.

A menu where you get to eat cheese tonkatsu + loin tonkatsu + salmon rice bowl all at once!!! I am... on a diet. Always. *^^*

Self-serve bar: free refills of cream soup, rice and Japanese soup

One thing I really liked about Gatjidong was the self-serve bar. After ordering your tonkatsu, you can use the self-serve bar, where cream soup, white rice, and miso soup are all unlimited refills. The soup and miso soup are self-service.

Kimchi, danmuji (pickled radish), rakkyo, and pickled ginger were also set out. And baby forks and baby spoons too!

Solo counter seats and baby chairs at Gatjidong

The restaurant has counter-style seats that are great for solo dining, and baby chairs are available too, so it looked like a good spot for families as well. Besides tonkatsu, there's udon, buckwheat soba, rice bowls, curry, pasta, and more, so it would be nice for a group where everyone picks their own dish.

How to eat the cheese tonkatsu with the hourglass timer

With classic loin tonkatsu, cheese tonkatsu split half and half, plus the mini sake-don, my table was pretty loaded that day. The food came out with an hourglass timer — I was told to wait until the sand ran out before cutting into the cheese tonkatsu with a knife.

The loin tonkatsu was a classic, no-frills combo — crispy fried cutlet with sauce, easy to enjoy without much thought. And the cheese tonkatsu I'd been waiting and waiting for looked exactly as good as I'd hoped! When I cut into it, the cheese inside stretched out smoothly. The savory cheese and the crispy tonkatsu texture worked so well together — this was exactly the taste I'd been craving that day.

How does the mini sake-don (salmon rice bowl) taste?

The sake-don (salmon rice bowl) also came out looking beautiful, with salmon neatly arranged over rice. I poured a bit of soy sauce over the salmon and mixed it in. The rice was seasoned sushi-style too, so even eating it plain was bursting with umami!

If you're looking for a great tonkatsu spot near Pusan National University close to Oncheonjang Station, or you want to try both cheese tonkatsu and regular tonkatsu at once, give Gatjidong Busan Jangjeon Branch's half-and-half tonkatsu a try. If you're like me and can't give up either one, go for the half-and-half tonkatsu with the mini sake-don too. I left that day very full and very satisfied.